First Day of School Part Two

I thought he would whine this morning as we started to leave. I thought there would be tears. I thought there would be a scene. I imagined him screaming and clawing at me as I walked out the door. Boy, was I wrong. 

Oliver woke up this morning around 7:30. I walked in and asked him what day it was. He cried out: “Monday!” I said: “And what is Monday?” ... “My First Day of School! I’m going to the library!” (You would have to have read the new Pete the Cat book to get the last part but his enthusiasm translates either way). We ate some breakfast, grabbed his lunch, backpack and Pete the Cat doll and headed out the door.

The entire way to school we talked about the day. He told me over and over again: “It’s my first day of school!” We talked about how he should share with his friends and shouldn’t throw fits. He told me that if he got frustrated he would “take a deep breath and walk away and calm down.” He reminded me that he would stay at school all day and that I would pick him up when I was done at BookPeople. After ten minutes of grilling him on proper school behavior, he had enough and asked me: “Mommy, can we listen to the Talking Heads?”

So, we listened to Burning Down the House as we pulled into the parking lot. Oliver kept saying: “It’s Burning Down the House! Burning Down the House!” I didn’t bother him about it but said a quick prayer that those words wouldn’t be the first words out of his mouth at school. 

We walked in, went to his classroom and got him settled with the help of a teacher’s aide. His classmates were out on the playground so we went out and joined them. Oliver immediately threw himself into playing. I chatted with his teacher for a few minutes and then it was the big moment. The dreaded Good-Bye. I went over to Oliver, knelt down solemnly and told him it was time for me to leave. He looked up at me with his big sweet eyes and said: “Bye, Mom” and ran off to keep playing. Absolutely perfect.

I left the building, shed a few tears in my car and headed off to work. I spent all day with my phone in my pocket but never heard from the school (the director asked me when I left if I wanted them to call me and give me an update. I decided to be brave like Oliver and declined the offer). Around 3 o’clock I was desperate to rush over and pick him up but I forced myself to stay at the store until 4.

I walked into the school and was greeted by the teacher’s aide that had helped get us set up this morning and he gave me the best news ever. And I quote: “He was awesome today! He told everyone it was his first day of school! I didn’t hear him upset at all today!” What a relief! I got into his classroom and the entire classroom was running around without their shirts on (they had been doing a messy painting project). They all looked so happy and excited. Oliver was in the corner playing with some toy or other and didn’t hear me come in. I watched him for a few minutes before calling out to him. He looked up and said: “Hi, Mom! It’s my first day of school!” and went back to playing. 

I don’t think we could have asked for a better first day. I know the other shoe could drop at any moment but even this evening all he could talk about was how he would go back to school tomorrow and he was happy about it. I’m pretty sure he didn’t nap today at all but he was still in a pleasant mood this evening so I’m not worried about that problem yet (ask me in a few days). I’m very impressed with my little man right now and am so grateful this first day went so smoothly.

First Day of School Part One

Tomorrow is a big day in the Contine household. After over two years of staying home with Brian and over six weeks of staying home with whoever could watch him after Brian started working (huge THANKS to Laurie, my mom, and Ann, by the way), Oliver is finally starting day care tomorrow. We found  a school that we love (Open Door Preschool) and after almost two months of badgering them we secured a spot and a start date. I should be relieved. The last two weeks, I have been (almost) solely responsible for O’s care during the week on top of trying to do my full time job and I have done both tasks rather poorly. I should be excited to get back into a routine. To be able to do the same thing every day will be good not only for Oliver but for me. I miss being at the store and I miss being able to give my full attention to my work during the day.

I should be excited and instead I am a wreck. O is taking the news that he is going to school tomorrow in stride. He can tell me that in the morning he will pack Pete in his backpack and I will drive him to school. I will drop him off and he will play with his friends, eat lunch and take a nap there until I come to pick him up in the afternoon. And he knows that he will do that every day except Saturday and Sunday from here on out. He seems set and yet I know there will be tears in the morning. My tears, however, have already started.

I am mourning the end of O’s time at home with his dad (which, in reality, ended six weeks ago). I am mourning the end of the period of his life in which he spent every moment with one of his parents or grandparents. I know school will be great for him... that he will flourish in the new reality of not being the center of adult attention and that spending time with kids his own age will do him nothing but good. But still I’m sad and I’m anxious about our new routine.

I haven’t sat still at all today - filling my day with meaningless tasks trying to prepare us for tomorrow. I’ve done laundry, made stuff for lunches, packed and repacked Oliver’s backpack and yet I’m still not ready. I have so many questions about how this whole day care thing will work. Do I need to bring diapers? If so, how many? Can I just leave a stash at the school? What about wipes? What about nap time? Will he sleep? What could I send with him to make it more likely that he will? Will he like his teachers? His classmates? Ugh. I’m more nervous for O’s first day of school than he is. 

Here goes nothing.